The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

No Luxury Condos

Report: There's a Right Way to Do Inclusionary Zoning

A new study from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy makes the case for well-timed, thoughtful use of inclusionary zoning as a tool to support diverse, affordable communities.

September 24 - At Lincoln House

San Bernardino

Where Is the Los Angeles Heat Island Effect Most Intense?

No, this is not a trick question. By definition, you'd think the answer is L.A., where the heat is generated, but it's actually San Bernardino, 56 miles to the east. Turns out that like ozone, heat is transported by the wind.

September 24 - KPCC

Thoughts on the Dynamic Cities Sector

After spending more than a decade in government and real estate development, Brian Swett recently joined Arup in the role of Director of Cities and Sustainable Real Estate in the Americas. We asked for his thoughts on urban expansion and development.

September 24 - Doggerel

Baltimore Crabs

South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan to Pave Way for Sports and Entertainment District

The Baltimore Planning Commission will soon consider the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan, which lays out a 20-year agenda to support a wave of entertainment development coming to the neighborhood.

September 24 - The Baltimore Sun

Jersey City Bikeshare Launches; Hoboken's System on the Way

The New York Times recognizes the signs of urban biking's renaissance in the launch of bikeshare systems in New Jersey cities.

September 24 - The New York Times


Calling for the Removal of Houston's Pierce Elevated Freeway

Houston's Pierce Elevated, a section of the I-45 freeway, is the latest target in the movement to remove urban freeways.

September 24 - The Urban Edge

Brooklyn Bridge

Attention Media: Neighborhoods Existed Before Gentrification

On the media's responsibility for narratives that enable displacement, rather than inclusion.

September 24 - Grist


German Cities Rewrite Building Codes to Provide Homes for Refugees

Germany has reformed building codes in a marshaling of political will known as the "Culture of Welcome" for an expected one million refugees. German cities, many of them shrinking for decades, see the refugees as an opportunity and a responsibility.

September 24 - The Globe and Mail

Seaside Entrance

Thoughts on Seaside at 35

Seaside, Florida: what’s possible when vision, tradition, creativity, adaptation, and, yes, time converge in ways that allow for careful study and consideration.

September 24 - PlaceShakers

Community Improvement District Considered to Fund Atlanta Beltline Improvements

Stakeholders are considering the implementation of a Community Improvement District along the Atlanta Beltline to help pay for ongoing maintenance and other improvements to the ongoing project of building this singular public facility.

September 23 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

'Beyond the 710' Seeks Multimodal Alternatives to Filling Freeway Gap

A coalition in Los Angeles County wants to reframe the debate about closing the gap in the 710 Freeway, asking Metro to look "beyond the 710"—and toward a multi-pronged, multimodal approach to transportation problems in the region.

September 23 - The Planning Report

Proactive Approach to Displacement Included With 11th Street Bridge Park Plans

A proposal to design a park at the 11th Street Bridge between Capitol Hill and Historic Anacostia includes a through study of how the new park can connect two neighborhoods without leaving anyone behind.

September 23 - Greater Greater Washington

Volkswagen Caught Cheating on Emissions Testing

A toxic revelation about the use of software to cheat emissions testing, found in 11 million Volkswagen vehicles, has taken down the company's CEO and could cost the company around $7.3 billion.

September 23 - The New York Times

LA Crime Scene

Still Gritty: Crime Wave in Downtown Los Angeles

As people and jobs stream into the district, downtown's long-simmering problems butt up against vigorous urban renewal. Crime is up, but so are property values.

September 23 - Los Angeles Times

Massachusetts Could Be Next State to Adopt a Road Usage Charge

In the wake of voter rejection of automatic indexing of the state gas tax, Massachusetts legislators may do away with the tax altogether. They are considering a trial of the Oregon model of road usage charge.

September 23 - Eagle-Tribune

6th Street Viaduct

Book Review: 'The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies: Lessons From S.F. and L.A.'

Reviewer Jon Christensen suggests that an alternative title to this book on urban economic development by four UCLA researchers could be the much simpler, and probably more attention-grabbing, "How San Francisco Beat L.A. — for Now Anyway."

September 23 - SF Gate

Build It and They Will Come: Big Expansion Expected for Houston Bikeshare

Critical funding from the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council will expand the size of Houston's B-Cycle bikeshare system. The investment is intended to attract more users.

September 23 - Houston Chronicle

The Outsized Benefits of Transforming Parking Lots to TOD

Chicago's sale of three city-owned parking lots demonstrates how selling underused land for the purposes of transit-oriented development can benefit people and government.

September 23 - Metropolitan Planning Council - The Connector

Nashville Neighborhood Conducts Car-Free Experiment

A neighborhood in West Nashville is in the midst of a "Don't Car Campaign," concluding on September 25, to determine just how walkable and transit-friendly their homes can be.

September 23 - Nashville Business Journal

Shepard Fairey

Street Artist Shepard Fairey Tackles Detroit

After billionaire landlord Dan Gilbert commissioned a mural, less-legal works in Fairey's style began showing up around the city. Detroit's case against the artist brings gentrification's ironies into focus.

September 22 - CityLab

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